I did find some info on it. No 12 meters??? Maybe I got the wrong rig. I know its not open all the time, but when it is it is a fantastic band for QRP. They said their research indicated 12 and 60 meters would be the least missed according to the QRPer report. Maybe they asked the question at the wrong time in the solar cycle. A "balance of performance vs. features"? I can understand 60 meters, I guess. I like Ten Tec products - alot, but come on guys!The amp really looks interesting. (It does have 12 and 60 meters. )(I know many many QRPers hang out on the lower bands - I just don't understand how including 12 meters is a performance or feature buster. Unless they were so close to $999.99 that a few parts would put it over 1K. )

Since the KX3 easily and handily exceeds 1000$, more if your do options 900$ is cheap. Sounds like a lot but cheap MFJ SSB and sorta CB monoband radios (Ranger) radios are typically $300 and up.

I can see not doing every band for a price but at the same time I expect performance on those that it does do. My standard of comparison is a 1978 TT Triton 340, only does 80/40/20/15 and 10but it's a very good RX and decent TX.

As to looks, I've used a lot of TT rigs and all have lots of years and they still work and can be easily fixed. So to me the looks are fine, you want ugly look at a PRC-1099 still works well!

During the time period my company manufactured the EndFedz line of antenna, we sold somewhere around 6000 antennas. 46 of those were 12M models. Ten Tec did their homework with polling the amateur community before making the decision. For my operations- they are spot on.

Well, its true, TT left out 60 and 12 meters to keep the radio small, but so what ,You get a mini Eagle QRP radio, for less than 1K. Also their new Amp cost about $700.00. I can't hardly Waite to check them out.

How can this possibly compete with the KX3 unless it's priced at $700?

It cannot. Leaving 12 and 6 meters off the radio was a big mistake and a deal killer for me. I see it as a crippled radio. In this day and age, for TenTec to leave off the two bands that almost every other radio has that is manufactured today shows me that TenTec seems to have lost its edge. I asked at Dayton why and the answer was to save space. Really? They could not make the radio a tad bit bigger to make it appeal to even more amateurs? And they should be asking themselves at TenTec how Elecraft can include 12 and 6 meters in a smaller package that even makes room for batteries!

I suspect the radio will be priced at $899 - just a guess at this point. The only way it would be attractive as a crippled radio is if the radio were priced at $699. If around $899, I'll be ordering the KX3.

Leaving off 12 and 60 is fine as the radio appears to be aimed squarely at QRP HF contesters. It has no other practical use, with no general coverage and apparently, no digital interface. Seriously, a USB CAT/Audio interface is about the size of a postage stamp.

I agree about omitting 12m as being a missed opportunity.As an avid PSK31 user, I chase the DX down the HF spectrum from 10m as conditions change.When 10m is closing, 12m is still hot.The WARC bands are great when things are just too frenetic, and don't forget escaping contest weekends.And there is a surprising amount of activity on 12m for a WARC band.

In any case why limit the options of its users, if this is supposed to be a deluxe type of radio.Why is my old FT817ND able to do 160m to 70cm and cost a fraction of this new radio?Of course filtering and other specs are not as good, but why didn't TenTec engineer a radio as H.F. wideband as the FT817ND?

It does not matter how good a radio is, if it cannot operate on bands of interest.

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